A breast implant is either inserted in a human breast or attached on the breast in order to replace tissue that has been medically removed in an operation such as a mastectomy. The purpose of the breast implant is to restore to the breast its external form, including its tactile feel and weight. A breast implant may also be inserted in a breast to enhance or enlarge the appearance of the breast for cosmetic purposes.
U.S. Patent Applications 2006/0069403 and 2010/0010531 describe a tissue expansion device, which comprises an expandable compartment adapted for implanting in a body of a subject, and a gas source adapted for implanting in a body of a subject and operably connected to the expandable compartment for inflation by transfer of a gas into it.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,672 describes a method and apparatus for filling mammary prostheses and tissue expanders using pumping systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,409,279 describes a method for implanting a breast implant into a subject. The method includes providing a sterile, flexible, elastic biodegradable bag sized to contain the breast implant, providing a sterile breast implant, inserting, using sterile handling, the sterile breast implant into the sterile bag to form a sterile breast implant assembly, closing the bag to fully enclose the implant within the bag, and implanting in a sterile manner the sterile breast implant assembly into the subject.
U.S. Patent Application 2012/0277858 describes an implant for anatomically reconstructing, or increasing the positive displacement of, a soft portion of a living body. The implant is formed of a casing made of a flexible biocompatible material and filled with a gel.
U.S. Patent Application 2014/0100656 describes a breast implant. The disclosed implant is an inflatable device comprising an outer shell composed of a biological material and an inner chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,674,035, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a biostable polyurethane or polyurea comprising a soft segment comprising a polysiloxane, and a hard segment which is a reaction product of a diisocyanate and a linear difunctional chain extender, processes for their preparation and their use in the manufacture of biomaterials, devices, articles or implants.
U.S. Patent Application 2003/0166777, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes cured blends of silicone polymer with organic polymers, without the use of a compatibilizer.